No chance for MPs to debate A-G’s Report

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim fears that the Attorney-General's Report would have been tampered with by the time its reaches the House.

KUALA LUMPUR: With no sign of the Auditor-General’s (A-G) Report in sight, Pakatan Rakyat MPs will not be able to effectively debate the 2012 Budget.

According to Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, it would be too late for MPs to scrutinise the budget, even if the report were to be tabled in Parliament next Monday.

“Today is the last day that MPs have been given an opportunity to debate the budget, with the winding-up (of the budget) on Monday.”

“Going through the report would require a team to work, analyse and study…We will not have an opportunity with (the winding-up) on Monday at 10am.

“It’s not going to be easy… You must have the report tabled so that the MPs can debate.

“I lost that opportunity because as opposition leader, I was not privy to the report,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby here.

Concern over tampering

Reflecting on his years as finance minister, Anwar said that ministries did not know the contents of the A-G Report until it was tabled in Parliament.

He is worried that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s administration may try to tamper with the contents of the report.

“I have no evidence to support that argument, but I have raised some concerns: why the inordinate delay, why there is no explanation,” he said.

In previous years, the A-G’s Report – which details the country’s current economic status – was usually presented before the annual budget was tabled.

The report also highlights the country’s many financial irregularities, which have come as an embarrassment to the government.

However, this year’s report has not been released to MPs and it has been more than one week since Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak unveiled Budget 2012.

Last week, Sungai Petani MP (PKR) Johari Abdul claimed that he had called the A-G’s Office, only to find out that the report had already been sent out.

On Oct 11, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz said he expected the report to come out two weeks after the Cabinet meeting on Oct 14.

To date, the government has not given a reason why the report has not been released.

Incomplete projects in Sarawak

Meanwhile in an unrelated matter, Anwar claimed that 92 percent of RM2.3 billion worth of government projects allocated in Sarawak the past two years have not been completed.

“The total (number of) projects disbursed, announced by PM and DPM until Oct 2011, is 310 costing RM2.3 billion; 8.13% or RM189 million (of it) are small projects,” he said.

FMT also noticed a few details in a report carried by Anwar, which appeared to show the projects given out by Najib and his deputy, Muhyiddin Yassin.

The report had a table entitled: “Programmes/Projects by the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for the state of Sarawak from Feb 22, 2010 to Oct 1, 2011.”

A large portion of the 310 government projects (264 of them or 85.16%), the table stated, were procured via “unclear” means. These projects came up to RM896.7 million.

Thirty-four projects amounting to RM910.7 million were allegedly given out via tenders.

The remaining 12, amounting to RM523 million, were directly given to companies.

Anwar also appeared reluctant to share the contents of this report with reporters.